Rabbit help (not nice) but need help

stephga23

Hi all,

I had a rabbit and had him for a really really long time and I came home last night and he was dead on the grass and something had been eating him, I'm devastated.

He was kept in a hutch and we made him a pen that he could come out of from the hutch but it was on the path so he couldn't dig.

I normally put him to bed (locked in the hutch) about 9pm (just when its getting dark) and that's when I found him.

I live in Newcastle with no fields around, do any of you guys know what would have got him and would he suffered?

Many thanks for your help

rising_from_the_ashes

Awwww Steph that must've been an awful shock .... so sorry (((hugs)))

Is the run damaged at all?

I guess it could've been a fox as they're fairly common even in urban areas.

Ohhhh, I really am so sorry as I can only imagine the horror of finding a much loved pet in that way xx

stephga23

Thank you, no damage to the run but when I went to check on him last night I put the kitchen light on and I heard a scrambling on the fence (as though something had run up and over it) that's when I found him.

The night before his water bottle was lying in the run (you know the normal ones with the wire you clip to the hutch) and I was thinking how on earth have you done that George! But I think now it may have tried to get him the night before.

Me and my OH are devastated all I hope is that he didn't suffer too much.

I didn't even think foxes were common here, I should have put him away earlier I'd guess.

Thank you for your reply Xx

rising_from_the_ashes

Please don't blame yourself ......

redd1800

A very similar thing happened to me a few months ago. All we found of Tigger were patches of skin and fluff. We think he escaped from a hole in the wire of the run that has been covered by an intact tarp all winter. I didn't realise the hole was there - the wire seemed to have sagged underneath the tarp. He was used to running around the garden, while i was supervising him, and always was easy to get back into his home. Tigger was used to our families dog, and had no fear of dogs. The night he vanished there was a very thin stray dog lurking around.

When animals are catching prey, they often go for the neck. Its a vulnerable area, they can get a good grip on, and put prey out of action so they can do what they need to do. And a good shake of the neck means a quick death for the prey (our bunnies )

I think your bunny was gone before he knew what was happening, and went too quickly to suffer.

I am so sorry for your loss!

PixieDust

I'm so sorry for your loss If it helps, I'm sure he didn't suffer. If he had been scared, you would have heard him screaming, so I would guess that death was pretty instantaneous. It would most likely be a fox, they can scale 6-7ft fences. xxx

juliebunny

Sorry about your rabbit. THere are a lot of urban foxes around these days....where we have build on their habitats unfortunately. I'm sure it was very quick.

Wirenth

Don't berate yourself for not having put your bunny away sooner. The fox got all four of our chickens one sunny afternoon, at around 2pm.

reehsetin

can't offer any help as mine's an indoor bun but just wanted to say sorry for your loss

stephga23

Thank you for all of your responses, it's much appreciated Xx